Under the Sky
by Psycho-Neurotically Disturbed
Summary: “I was waiting,” her lips moved delicately with each word, pronouncing them in a lucid tone. “For what?” Renji edged gently. Their meetings always ended the same way and he was going to make the most out of it, even if it killed him.  RenjixUruru...ish. A


Under the Sky

By

Psycho-Neurotically Disturbed

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.

Warning: This is slightly (in other words A LOT) different than my usual stories for these two and its very AU. Please beware its also totally weird. Also it is a one shot. ONE. And for the record, I won't be writing another like this.

Seriously, this was like...over four pages and in one sitting. It's almost four in the morning and now I'm wiped. Enjoy.

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Abarai Renji had known her for his entire life. She was a constant; an unvarying entity that would shimmer into existence before his eyes once every few years.

This time her name was Ururu.

Somehow fate had led him off his usual trek—a car accident that managed to block the two northbound lanes of traffic—and he was forced to take the more scenic, albeit longer, route to his home.

Renji had been in this neighborhood before, of course. He'd grown up in the crowded suburbs of Karakura Town and he'd just passed the house his grandfather used to live in before he was sent to Pleiades Harmony, a small, trusted nursing home on the outskirts of the somewhat large city.

He'd always liked visiting the somewhat senile old man. It wasn't just because he actually wanted to see him. No, no, don't get me wrong; he really did like the old guy... but what he really liked was that ten minute walk to Caria's Hill.

It might sound strange that a twenty year old man would reminisce about a hill of all things, but it seemed that every time he went to Caria's, he would go back home feeling like he'd been through hell and it would make his daily life more bearable.

Once the old walking path came into sight, Renji slowed his car to a stop and stepped out of it, only pausing to grab himself a jacket from his backseat to tug on over his white button up shirt and khaki slacks.

The hill was steep and it was actually more of a cliff than anything. His scuffed up Dockers weren't really up to par for the journey, but he could care less about his shoes. The trailed seemed like it hadn't been used in ages and the redhead carefully watched for roots and rocks that might upset his footing. The walk seemed like it was over before it started and Renji soon found himself at the top.

He knew he wasn't alone. He'd never been alone when he reached the top. There was always one person waiting for him; a girl.

Ururu.

It was never the same girl, and yet, at the same time, it might have been. The years that trickled by would change not only him, but her as well. Her name changed every time he spoke to her, but in the back of his mind she was the same.

Tonight, just as the darkness of night was devouring the sun's rays, turning the sky purple and red and gold, she stood at the top of the hill, staring over the cliff.

Renji's eyes narrowed a little as he stared at her back, memorizing how her features had changed in the past five years. Her shiny black hair shimmered with streaks of ocher shades that Renji wanted to catch in his fingers and whisper to her every color he could think to name. Even from a distance, he knew that she stood no higher than his mid-chest. Though he couldn't see them, he knew the wet color of her eyes, the exact shape of her face, and the fake, lilting smile that graced her distressed features. He knew that she wouldn't look happy to see him, but it didn't stop him from walking to her.

As he stopped at the peak of the precipice, he shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants and stared into coming darkness. They stood in silence; neither making any more to acknowledge the other. Stars were just beginning to litter the heavens when he finally spoke.

"I'd like to tell you what I see, but I know that you wouldn't understand," his brown eyes flickered to her face, wondering if she'd even blinked to recognize him.

Another moment of silence went by.

The girl slowly closed her eyes and her lips parted far enough to release of few words. "It's a waste."

"I know," he gave a rueful smile and kicked a rock of the side of the cliff, listening to it fall into the fissure below it. "How much longer will it be until you find what you're looking for?"

He could feel her eyes on his face and respectfully kept his eyes on the ground. She didn't answer though and he moved closer to her.

"How many years?"

"I was waiting," her lips moved delicately with each word, pronouncing them in a lucid tone.

"For what?" Renji edged gently, not wanting to spook her into doing it too early. Their meetings always ended the same way and he was going to make the most out of this one if it killed him.

"You," she answered, as if it were obvious. He finally met her eyes and was surprised to see her openly match his gaze. A thousand thoughts flew through his mind, too fast for him to comprehend more than a few.

Beauty.

Grief.

Hate.

She was all of them and all of them meant nothing to her.

"Ururu," he breathed, her name finally clicking in his head. He gently grabbed her hand. It was cold to the touch, but he already knew it would be. It always was. "Thank you."

A look of surprise flitted across her features, but before she could answer, Renji pressed his lips to hers; drinking in everything he could from her.

Emotions he'd never felt before and some he couldn't even name spilled into his mid, body, and soul, burning and freezing the blood in his veins. His mind was working overtime, shuffling worthless thoughts from the useful and finally shut itself down when his nerves slowly realized that she was kissing him back.

It couldn't have last more than a minute, but as his fingers curled themselves in Ururu's hair, Renji realize how much he'd grown to love her since their first meeting so many years ago.

Her breathing was never haggard like his was. She was made like that. She didn't require food or water. She would never be exhausted or tired. She would never want for anything. Her fingers would never be warm to the touch. She would never be anything but his.

He pulled her body as close to him as possible, eyes closed, trying to imagine what she actually needed from him.

"I don't want you to leave me this time, Ururu," Renji said quietly, running his fingers through her perfect locks. "I can't stand being alone again. All the ones before you went away."

"We all change, Renji Abarai. We change as you change."

"Will you ever be mine?" he asked, nuzzling her shoulder. He imagined her muscles tensing at the touch.

"Never," Ururu gently pushed him away and turned toward the cliff.

"Don't leave me," he said, moving a step towards her. "I'm not ready to be alone again."

"You won't be alone, Renji."

"Take me with you," he reached forward hands clasping uselessly in front of him, moving close enough to look deeply into her eyes.

"I can't," Ururu's eyes closed and Renji took her shoulders, shaking her.

"Please, don't, not this time." He pleaded with her, grasping her in a tight hug. She sighed lightly and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"I won't stay," Ururu shook her head as she stepped away.

Renji stared at her, wondering how she'd managed to escape from his hold.

"You haven't realized it yet, have you?" Her tone was sad. She shook her head, "I'm not real, Renji Abarai."

"Of course you are," Renji shook his head, stunned.

"I'm nothing but a dream of yours," she continued, smiling sorrowfully at him. "You are my creator. I am your vision."

"I've known you…"

"Your whole life, yes. I breathe because it is your will that I retain an ounce of humanity so it is easier for you to believe I exist. I speak because you've imagined me with a voice." Her dark eyes stared as if searching his soul. "You love me because you can't love yourself, Renji Abarai. I am everything you've willed yourself to be and everything in me is in you. You will never be truly alone."

"Stop it, Ururu." Renji's voice was unsure. "Stop acting as if you don't exist outside of me. I've seen you grow and change. You've become new so many times in my eyes…"

"How could you possibly love something that you've imagined your whole life?" She seemed to dim before his eyes. "It's time for me to go."

"Don't," Renji shook his head, knowing what was coming next. It was what always came next.

He lunged, wrapping his arms around her disappearing body as she flung herself over the cliff.

The fall wasn't as intense as he imagined it would be. He barely realized he was falling before the sickening crunch reached his ears and pain exploded throughout his body. His mouth suddenly felt dry and he called out to her, "Ururu?"

"I'm here, Renji."

He felt her icy fingers rest against his cheek and he closed his eyes. "I can't move."

"You shouldn't have done that, Renji; now we're both gone."

"I wanted to go with you," he admitted, smiling ruefully.

"I will always be with you," she planted a gently kiss on his lips. "You know my every thought."

"I think I like this better," Renji said contently, but it only lasted a minute before he spoke again. "I'm dying, aren't I?"

"I told you I couldn't take you with me," she stroked his hair away from his face.

"I wanted to," Renji mouth twisted out of its smile as a wet cough racked through his body. "I wanted to so much," he squeezed his eyes shut as she wiped the blood that trickled down the side of his mouth. He could feel tears streaming down his cheeks. "I don't want to die."

"Shh," she shifted him into her arms to embrace him. "You'll never be alone, Renji. I will be there for you."

He nodded the best he could, trying to endure the numbing pain that was overtaking his body.

Ururu held him in her arms as coughs racked his body. She could feel his heart begin to slow and his breathing became no more than him merely choking on his own blood. She let it go on. It would all be over soon.

She didn't know how long they lay there, listening to the bubbling of blood and the rasping, wet coughs. She smiled softly, silently stroking his hair through it all.

And suddenly it stopped. Ururu used her last moments to close his eyes and pressed her lips to his temple. She moved her mouth to his ear. "I promise you, we will meet again, Abarai-san. This time, it will be for real. I guarantee it."

The police found his body at the bottom of Caria's Hill two days later. After meeting with his family they were notified that he'd been on anti-depressants most of his teenage to adult years and had a known history of hallucinating. Upon hearing this and seeing that there was no sign of resistance or any footprints on the hill besides his own, it was believed that Renji Abarai took his own life.

In a way, it was true.

* * *

**Epilogue:**

Renji rested his hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto as he listened to Kisuke Urahara speak. He would be living with the ex-shinigami as long as his mission on earth played out.

The soft fall of footsteps assailed their ears and Kisuke smiled as a small girl entered the room.

"Ah, come here," the older man grinned and patted the little girl's black hair. "Ururu, this is Renji Abarai. He's going to be staying with us for a while. Say hello."

Renji and Ururu stared at each other for a moment before she recovered with a meek sounding "Hello, Abarai-san."

Renji's mouth spread into a grin, "Ururu, it's nice to meet you." The 'again' was implied at the end of the sentence because neither one needed to hear it.

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AN: END! WOOT! That took me almost two hours, but I finished it! I know it's weird. Read and Review! 


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